Gavin and Stacey’s James Corden reveals the pressure to get the finale right felt like ‘the closest thing to being called up to play for England’

Gavin and Stacey’s James Corden has revealed he felt a lot of pressure to get the final of the hit BBC sitcom right for fans.

The actor, 46, admitted he put everything into the show and was excited for viewers to see it on Christmas Day.

But the talk show host explained that because the show was such a fan favorite, he felt like there were a lot of expectations to live up to, according to The sun.

James told the publication: “We’ve done absolutely everything we can to try to make it as satisfying as possible for a mass audience.”

He went on to say that it’s “crazy” that the show means more to people 20 years after its first episode than when it first started.

And so James felt he and Ruth Jones had taken on a huge task and compared the anticipation to being called up to play for England in the World Cup.

He added: ‘I think this is the closest we’ve come to a call-up to the England team in terms of something that means a lot to a lot of people.

“You’re representing your country in a way right now, you know?

“And so, it’s a lot… but we really did the best we could.”

And the duo, who first met on the set of Fat Friends, have come a long way since their first episode which they wrote in a hotel near Selfridges before appearing on This Morning.

Throughout the pairing, they have remained close friends with Ruth, who has no social media, and have even written to reviewers who were critical of her co-star.

And the love is reciprocated when Yesterday star surprises Ruth with a giant cake on her birthday and interrupts a pub scene to sing Happy Birthday.

Despite their success, the pair have remained loyal to the show, reportedly turning down a deal with Netflix and the chance to adapt series into a movie.

James explained that he felt it was important to be grateful to the BBC for giving them the opportunity to make the show in the first place.

He added that they also couldn’t imagine the characters on the big screen and instead said “they are people who belong in the corner of your living room on Christmas Day.”

Ruth, who plays Nessa, added that it was the right time to end the show, if only at her feet.

The star revealed she feels much older now, 17 years after filming first started, and said she had to change her character’s wardrobe.

The Stella star explained that Nessa wore high-heeled boots with stilettos during the first few episodes, but the actress said she has trouble with heels and now has to use orthotics.

James’ admission comes after Joanna Page revealed she found filming the final day of Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas special ‘traumatic’ as she opened up about the ’emotional’ final day on set.

The very last part ever will air on Christmas Day this year in a 90-minute special, after fans of the show begged for an end to the story.

Viewers hope the episode will tie up loose ends, including Smithy and Nessa’s love story, and finally provide answers to what happened on Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip.

And during a new interview, the Welsh actress, 47, who plays Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning TV series, revealed that filming the final episode ever left her ‘crying and laughing hysterically’.

Joanna said: “It was traumatic being on set with everyone for the last time. I knew I was going to cry as soon as I walked onto the set.

“I saw Steve’s face, our first AD, and I burst into tears. Then I saw Sophie Hebron, our second AD, and I burst into tears again. So then I went into my trailer and Julia Davis came in and sat with me, and I couldn’t stop crying because it felt like it was such a huge journey that was coming to an end.

“So I thought it was very emotional, but then hysterically funny in between, because the last scene we filmed was funny, so I alternated between crying hysterically and laughing hysterically.”

Recalling those final moments on set, she continued, “At the very end, during our last bit of filming, I just had a sense of calm come over me.

“I remember standing there and looking at everyone and everyone’s faces, and I remember very calmly smiling to myself and thinking, ‘Wow, look where we’ve all come, look where we all are now.’

“I delivered my last lines, the way I wanted to, and the way I had to, and then they shouted, ‘It’s done,’ and then they all clapped goodbye and I just hugged Mat , and we both stood there crying.’